Under Siege
Under Siege is the 1992 action movie and the first of the ''Under Siege'' film series. The film was released in October 9, 1992. It was written by J.F. Lawton and directed by Andrew Davis. In this movie, ex-Navy SEAL Casey Ryback (Steven Seagal) now serves as a cook on US battleship USS Missouri when a team of terrorists, led by former CIA operative William Strannix (Tommy Lee Jones) and the ship's turncoat executive officer Commander Krill (Gary Busey), hijack the ship and overpowered the crew to load off the ship's nuclear Tomahawk missiles to the North Korean submarine. Now Ryback, relying on his counter-terrorist skills, must stop the terrorists, save the crew and retake the battleship intact. Under Siege is regarded to be one of the best Die Hard scenario films and is the biggest hit of Steven Seagal's career. Plot The battleship USS Missouri arrives at Pearl Harbor, where George H. W. Bush announces that the ship will be decommissioned in California, making the trip her final voyage. Casey Ryback, a Chief Petty Officer assigned as a cook, is preparing meals in celebration of the birthday of Captain Adams against the orders of Commander Krill, who is having food and entertainment brought by helicopter. Krill provokes a brawl with Ryback. Unable to imprison Ryback in the brig without clearance from the captain, Krill detains Ryback in a freezer and places a Marine, Private Nash, on guard. A CH-46 helicopter lands on the ship's deck with a musical band, along with Playmate Jordan Tate and a group of caterers who in reality are a band of mercenaries led by ex-CIA operative William Strannix. Strannix's forces seize control of the ship with the help of turncoat Krill. Several officers are killed, including Captain Adams. The rest of the ship's company are imprisoned in the forecastle, except for some stragglers in unsecured areas. Strannix intends to steal and sell the ship's Tomahawks by unloading them onto a submarine he had previously stolen from North Korea. The CIA had tried and failed to assassinate him prior to the events of the film. Strannix and his men take over the ship's weapon systems, shooting down an F/A-18 Hornet sent to investigate, and plan on covering their escape by using missiles to obliterate tracking systems in Pearl Harbor. Krill realizes they forgot about Ryback and learns the kitchen is an unsecured area. Strannix sends two mercenaries to eliminate Ryback and Nash. Nash is killed, but Ryback manages to kill the mercenaries. Ryback contacts Admiral Bates at the Pentagon on satellite phone, whereupon the Navy plans to send a SEAL team to retake the ship. Krill discovers that Ryback is really a Chief Petty Officer and former Navy SEAL with extensive training in anti-terrorism tactics. To keep the missile-theft plan in place, Krill activates the fire control system in the forecastle, leaving the crew members to drown. The terrorists expect that Ryback will try to save his colleagues, and set up an ambush. Ryback hears six sailors banging on pipes in Morse code, and rescues them. Together, they manage to overcome the ambush, shut off the water in the forecastle and eliminate several terrorists. Ryback shuts down the Missouri's weapon systems, in order to allow the incoming Navy SEALs to land. The submarine crew shoots down the helicopter carrying the Navy SEALs with shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles. The Pentagon responds by ordering an air strike that will sink the Missouri. Strannix regains control of the ship's weapon systems and loads the Tomahawks onto the submarine. Krill fixes the submarine and starts to descend. With the aid of a retired World War II Gunner's Mate, who was among the six sailors rescued earlier, Ryback uses the battleship's guns to sink the submarine, killing Krill and everyone on board. Strannix suffers a major concussion from being in the proximity of the Missouri's guns as they are fired. He launches two nuclear-tipped Tomahawks towards Honolulu. As the sailors recapture the ship, Ryback finds his way into the control room, where he is caught off guard by Strannix. Strannix and Ryback realize they know each other from their past covert experiences. Strannix takes him on a tour of his greatest feat, showing him the launch code disk. Ryback states that both of them are disillusioned and were used by ungrateful government. Catching Strannix off guard, Ryback manages to disarm him, and the two engage in a knife melee. After suffering a cut above his eye, Ryback overcomes Strannix and stabs down on his head, killing him. Ryback then takes the launch code disk needed to self-destruct the Tomahawk missiles. One of the two missiles is destroyed by an F/A-18 Hornet. The codes are dialed in and the second Tomahawk missile is deactivated, blowing apart before it would have destroyed Honolulu. The Pentagon calls off the air strike. The remaining crew members are freed as the ship sails towards San Francisco harbor. Ryback is checked by a Navy doctor, kisses Jordan and the crew looks on and cheers. The film ends with a funeral ceremony for Captain Adams being held on the deck of the Missouri, showing the Captain's casket with a flag draped over it and Ryback saluting in his formal dress uniform with full decorations. Cast and characters USS Missouri personnel *Steven Seagal as Casey Ryback *Erika Eleniak as Jordan Tate *Patrick O'Neal as Captain Adams *Damian Chapa as Tackman *Raymond Cruz as Ramirez *Troy Evans as Granger *David McKnight as Flicker *Glenn Morshower as Ensign Taylor *Leo Alexander as Lieutenant Smart *John Rottger as Commander Green *Michael Welden as Lieutenant Ballard *Bernie Casey as Commander Harris *Tom Wood as Private Nash *Duane Davis as Crewman Johnson *Sandy Ward as Gunner's Mate Calaway Terrorists *Tommy Lee Jones as William Strannix *Gary Busey as Commander Krill *Colm Meaney as Daumer *Eddie Bo Smith Jr. as Shadow *Richard Andrew Jones as Pitt *Tom Reynolds as Wave *Tom Muzila as Cates *John Laughlin as Zix U.S. Government *Andy Romano as Admiral Bates *Nick Mancuso as CIA director Tom Breaker *Dale Dye as Captain Nick Garza *Dennis Lipscomb as National Security Advisor David Trenton *Dru Ann Carlson as Captain Spellman External Links * *Under Siege on Wikipedia Category:Films Category:Under Siege series Category:Die Hard on a Boat scenario movies Category:Die Hard scenario films with militia group villains Category:Die Hard scenario films involving nuclear weapons Category:Die Hard scenario films with ex-gov't authority figure villains Category:R rated films Category:Martial Arts action entertainment Category:Warner Bros. movies Category:Steven Seagal action films Category:Tommy Lee Jones action films Category:Gary Busey action films Category:1990s era releases Category:1992 Category:Andrew Davis film productions Category:Erika Eleniak action films